Today is Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. It’s estimated that 10 million Americans have this debilitating disorder, including me. If you’ve ever had the flu then you have a vague idea what fibro feels like. Imagine that all the muscles in your body ache and you’ve been sapped of all your energy. Imagine that your joints throb and ache constantly. Imagine being the most tired you’ve ever been but can’t sleep due to insomnia.

Then imagine feeling that way every single day – week after week, year after year.

It’s not always clear what causes fibromyalgia but it’s common to develop fibromyalgia after an accident or injury. Mine developed just two years after I developed chronic pain in my face resulting from a staph infection after sinus surgery.

There is no cure and only a handful of treatments that help alleviate the symptoms.

Many fibro sufferers are mocked or derided by others who think the symptoms are “all in their head” or they are making it up or malingering. (I know I sure was, mocked that is – by my former boss)

I pray that sometime in my lifetime we find the cause and an adequate treatment or even a cure. I honestly cannot imagine 20-30 more years of this.